Safety device for punch-presses.



R. C. LEGAT.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR PUNCH PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED 050.23, 1914.

1,164,943; Patented Dec.21,1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I- COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-23, 1914.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

InvsnTar:

[Off/755.555:

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

.R. C. LEGAT.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR PUNCH PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED 050.23, 1914.

1,164,943. Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

COLUMN A PLmOqmn (10.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

"en ra n s ra ROBERT C. LEGAT, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

. SAFETY DEVICE FOR PUNCH-PRESSES.

menses.

1 To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT C. LEGAT, a citizen of the United States, residing I at New Britain, in the county of Hartford. and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Punch-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

- My invention relates to improvements in safety devices for punch presses and the object of my improvement is toprovide means for preventing injury to the operator of a punch press and at the same time to eifect delivery of the work operated upon by the same.

In. the accompanying drawing: Figure-1 is a front elevation of a punch press equipped with my improved safety device, the press being of the open back power type; Fig. 2 is a similar view of a foot press similarly equipped. Fig. 3 is a similar view on w an enlarged scale of part of the press shown in Fig. 2/ 'Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the safety device shown in Figs. 3 and 4 removed from the press. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 7 is a plan view, of the same. Fig. 8 is a similar view of the same, with the movable parts in a different position from that shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a View corresponding to Fig. t showing a press equipped with a stripper and having a modified means of operating the-safety device. Fig. 10 is a plan view of part of the same.

The various styles. of presses comprise each a. plunger 10 carrying the movable dies '11 and cooperating therewith a bed 12 supporting the fixed die-13, the latter being secured to a plate 14, and the plate 1 1 being secured to the bed 121in proper position by meansof studs and nuts or by bolts 15.

My safety device comprises a swinging guard plateorshield 16, pivotallyinounted at one side, as shown the left slde, on a vertical post 17 extending upwardly from a base plate 18, the latter being secured to the plate l l'by means of one of thebolts 15, and provided with a positioning spring 19, which as'shown is mounted onthe post '17".

The shield16is made of heavy sheet metal and comprises a main portion 20 of rectangular form, normallypo-sitioned directly over the fixed die 13, and at an appreciable angle or inclination relatively thereto and at the end from which it is supported the shield'16 is provided with a forwardly extending wing 21, having laterally overhanging knuckles 22, suitable for engagement with the post 17 As shown the knuckles 22 are .positioned at the upper and lower ends of the wing 21 and the spring 19 is positioned between them.

One end of the spring 19 is secured to the post 17 and the free end is hooked over the wing 21. I

A stop 23 limits the rearward movement of the shield 16 and as shown consists of an upward projection at the rear end of a collar 2 1, adjustably mounted onthe post 17 and secured by means of a set screw'25, and engaging with the wing 21.

The main portion 20 constitutes the guard proper, and isin the form of a plane, inclined from theupper end rearwardly, and exposing the work-at the lower and rear portion, and the extent of the said main portion is such that an inclined wall is opposed to every part of the plunger 10. -Furthermore, the amount of inclination of the said main part 20 issuch that when in the downward movement of the plunger 10 any part thereof engages with the main part 20 the effect of such engagement isto tend to move the main part 20 forwardly in opposition to-the spring 19, and as the movement is continued downwardly the main part 20 is movedforwardly entirely clear of the work and so that themovable die 11 engages in proper manner with thelower fixed die 13'. Upon the return, upward movement of the plunger 10 the spring 19 returns the'shield 16 to the normal position, over the lower die 13. Accordingly, in placing the work, the

Specification of'Letters Patent. Patgnted Duh 21, 9 5;

Application filed. December 23, 1914'. Serial No. 878,719.

hand is housed within the shield 16 and effectively guarded thereby from any liability of being caught by the plunger 10 and in case the hand is notremoved by the operator before thedownward movement of the plunger the hand is pushed forwardly out of the way by the shield 16 when the same is moved forwardly in the manner described.

In the modification shown in Fig. 9 the plunger 10 engages directly with the shield 16 to push the same out of the way. In the style shown in Fig. 1 a stop or lug 26 on the plunger frame 27 engages with the shield 16. In the style shown in Figs. 2,

,3, and 4 a roller 26 is provided forthe purmain part 20 is made plane so as to provide a way suitable for cooperating with. the said lug orroller. The portion of the main part 20 remote from the way portion mentioned. and which does not comein contact withany part of;the plunger 10 may be provided with holes 28 to admit light to thework and the lower die 13.

The lower knuckle 22 rests on the collar 24, so that the position of the shield 16 as re-.

gards' elevation relatively'to the lower die 13 is determinedby the position of the. said collar2t. Accordingly, raising and lowering the collar 24: on the post 17 raises and lowers the shield 16, and turning the collar 2st on the said post 17 changes the normal angular position ofthe same.

In some cases a stripper is used. In the form shown in ig. 9 the stripper 29 is suitably positioned to strip the work from the upper die 11, being pivotally mounted ona shaft 30 and. limited in its upward movement by a stop 31', and normally held against the said stop by a spring,or counterweight, not shown. The workin this case is of such character-that after being operated upon by the dies it 'sticks to the upper die and is lifted thereby when the same is returned to the normal upper position. Furthermore, as is usual and well known in the art, only a small portion of the work is engaged by the dies, and the operative portion of the dies is-confined to the central portion therev of,designated by the character 82, and which 35' is relatively limited in extent.

So far as the operation of my invention is a concerned the upper surface of the lower die 113 is a plane surface. In the case of the upper die 11, the same comprises the central portion 32 of the particular form suited to the work, and which is shown as square in the drawing, and which extends downwardly from the body portion of the upper die 11,

The body portion 33 of the plunger lQoverhangs the upper die 11. In some cases the said body portion 33 engages the stripper 29 on the downward movement and carriesthe same along during the latterlportion of the i said downward movement vand the stripper returns therewith on the return upward movement until limited by the stop 31, as

.. mentioned. However'this may be, the work overhangs the upper die 11 or the central operative. portion 32 thereof suitably to be forcibly removed from the upper die 11 bythe stripper 29 when the latter has reached its final uppermost position. As shown the stripper 29 consists of a plate having a U shaped opening suitable to admit the upper die 11, the side arms 35 of which plate are suitably spread apart to engage with the laterally overhanging portion of the work, all of which is quite ordinary.

. .It willbe noted however as shownin Fig. 9 that the normal position of the stripper 29,

'ated positioning as determined by the relative positions of the shaft and the stop 31, is such that the same is slightly above the inclined main portion of the shield .16. Because of this the shield 16 is returned to the normal position as shown in the said figure just before the work is stripped from the upper die 11 and when the work is stripped therefrom the same is dropped onto the said main portion v 20, and is delivered to the rear portion of the lower die 13, and clear of the front and operative portion of the same. As a matter of fact the work is stripped with some forceso that the same is actually thrown downwjardly with some force and'will' be delivered to the space at the rearrof the lower die. In some cases a stripper is notrequired, as

a when a simple stamping operation is effected.

of the operative portion of'the die, so that anew piece of work may be placed in the die by the operator without any attention being required onthe part of the operator to the work that 'waspreviously operated.

upon, and in both cases the said shieldse'rves as a guard or safety device'to protect the hand of the operator in placing the work in the die. 1

What I claim as my invention is I V l. .A safety device forvpunch presses comprising a platepositioned betweenthe upper and lower dies'and in a planethat is at an In either of the'cases mentioned the shield 16 serves to delive'r'the work clear' inclination tothe line of movement of the upper die, and the said plate being mounted by one endon a vertical shaft suitably to be pushed to one side of'the said line of move-r ment by the said upper die;

2. A safety device for punch presses comprising a shield having a plate-like body portion suitable to be positioned at an in clination to'v the line of movement of the movable die,-and a supporting wlng at one end thereof, a vertically directed pivotal support for the said wing, and spring oper;

means connected to the said shield. r

8. A safetydevice forf punch pressescomprising' a post, a shield having a set of a V knuckles mounted on. the said post, a collar mounted on the said post and having means for being secured in different positions thereon, the lowermost of the said knuckles being supported by the said collar. and a projection on one .end portion of the said collar and suitably positioned toengage with part of the said inclined portion remote normally across the line of movement of the from the said way being provided with a "plurality of perforations suitable for admitting light to the lower die. j

5; In combination, a punch press having a fixed lower die, a movable upper dle, a

shield having an inclined portion positioned said upper die, and supported suitably to be pushed aside by the said upper'die, spring means tending to bring the said shield to the normal position, a stripper having a limited upward movement, and the said stripper being positioned normally slightly above the said inclined portion.

6. A safety device for punch presses comprising a shield having a body portion of plate-like form positioned at an inclination -to the line of movement of the upper die,

and verticallydirected supporting means at p one end thereof, and a portion of the said body portion being suitable to serve as a way in cooperation with the said upper die.

7. A safety device for punch presses comprising a shield made of sheet material, the said sheet material being bent to form two parts, one of the said parts serving as a supporting wing, positioned in a vertical plane, and having means for being pivotally supported on a vertical shaft, and the other of the said parts serving as the shield proper, being in the form of a plate of suitable size and form to extend across the space between the upper and lower dies, and at an inclination to the line of movement of the said upper die suitably to be engaged by the said upper die, and spring means tending to hold the said shield so that the said shield proper will extend across the said space between the said dies, and to restore the said shield to such position after having been moved therefrom by reason of engagement with the said upper die.

ROBERT C. LEGAT.

WVitnesses FRANK H. ALFORD,

T. W. ROBERTS.

I Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, .D. G. 

